Pair of 5s vs dealer 9: hit, stand, double down, or split?
Double down (hit if you cannot double). Pair of 5s against a dealer 9 is played the same way whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.
- Dealer hits soft 17Double downIf you cannot double: hit
- Dealer stands on soft 17Double downIf you cannot double: hit
- Hit: take one more card.
- Double down: take exactly one more card, then stand. Only allowed on your first two cards.
- Split: separate a pair into two hands and play each one on its own.
Why
Splitting fives creates two weak hands starting on a 5. Treated as a hard 10 instead, it is one of the best doubling totals in the game.
A pair is two cards of the same value, and any two 10-value cards count as a pair of 10s. Played as one hand, this pair is a hard 10: see Hard 10 vs dealer 9.
The numbers
- A dealer 9 busts about 23% of the time.
- Kept as one hand, this pair is a hard 10, which cannot bust on one card.
| Dealer rule | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Bust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Either dealer rule | 12% | 12% | 35% | 12% | 6% | 23% |
| Play | Either dealer rule |
|---|---|
| Double down | +0.15best |
| Hit | +0.12 |
| Surrender (where offered) | -0.50 |
| Split | -0.53 |
| Stand | -0.54 |
Scoring: a win scores +1, a loss -1, a tie 0, and a doubled hand counts twice. Surrender scores -0.50. Hit means take a card, then play on as well as possible. These are averages over many hands from the strategy audit behind the app, rounded and approximate. Any single hand can go either way.
Rules assumed
- 4, 6, or 8 decks (the chart is the same for all three)
- The dealer checks for blackjack when showing a 10 or an ace, before you act
- Double down is allowed on any first two cards
- Double after split is allowed
- Late surrender is offered, as your first decision only
- Split up to four hands; split aces get one card each and cannot be resplit
One-deck and two-deck games, tables without surrender, and dealers who do not check for blackjack change some plays. Check your table's rules before relying on any chart.
Both soft 17 rules are shown. The two charts differ on only 6 of 360 hands: see the dealer hits and dealer stands charts. The plays come from the verified 4 to 8 deck tables behind the Blackjack Trainer app (bs_4to8_h17_peek and bs_4to8_s17_peek).
Common questions: Pair of 5s vs dealer 9
What is the correct play for a pair of 5s against a dealer 9?
Double down (hit if you cannot double). This is basic strategy for 4 to 8 decks, and it is the same whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.
Does the soft 17 rule change a pair of 5s against a dealer 9?
No. The play is the same whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. Only a handful of hands on the chart change with that rule, and this is not one of them.
Should I split 5s against a dealer 9?
No. Double down (hit if you cannot double). Splitting fives creates two weak hands starting on a 5. Treated as a hard 10 instead, it is one of the best doubling totals in the game.
What if I cannot double down?
Then hit. Double down means taking exactly one more card, and it is only allowed on your first two cards.
Does basic strategy guarantee a win?
No. It picks the play with the best average result, but any single hand can go either way, and the house keeps a small edge. This site and the Blackjack Trainer app are for practice only.